Neil Gaiman's Writing Tips | WRITING ADVICE FROM FAMOUS AUTHORS

What do you make of Neil Gaiman's writing advice? These are all writing tips from Neil Gaiman taken from his Masterclass, which I would highly recommend.
As usual, I've chosen some interesting writing tips from famous authors and given you my opinion on them, let me know if you agree with me, Neil Gaiman, or neither of us!
Whatever kind of stories you write, I think it's useful to look at other writers and see what we can learn from them.
Some of the most useful advice about writing I've ever come across was from famous writers I hadn't read beforehand.
Let me know what you make of Neil Gaiman's tips in the comments!
Other Author Advice videos:
PLAYLIST:
kzbin.info/aero/PLm...
ELMORE LEONARD: • Elmore Leonard's Writi...
GEORGE RR MARTIN: • George R R Martin's Wr...
JK ROWLING: • Video
DR SEUSS: • Video
NEIL GAIMAN PT1: • Neil Gaiman's Writing ...
NEIL GAIMAN PT 2: • More of Neil Gaiman's ...
HARUKI MURAKAMI: • Haruki Murakami's Writ...
ZADIE SMITH: • Zadie Smith's Writing ...
RAYMOND CARVER: • Raymond Carver's Writi...
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST INTERVIEW HERE:
cdroberts.me/Kieren-Westwood
MY WEBSITE:
www.kierenwestwood.com/
***
Writing is my passion, and I love to support other writers and help them develop their writing along with me. I want to help you tell your best stories.
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[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

MY EDITING SERVICE: www.kierenwestwood.com/editing

[@dacrewordsmith]

The 'compost heap,' where ideas, snippets, moments in clarity can ferment and "rot" down into healthy soil and fertilizer for a strong story. I really love this point. I just love Neil Gaiman!

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

He's such a treasure isn't he. The whole masterclass is just great advice after great advice and there's zero ego or pretentiousness to it 🙂 Defintely a great role model for us writers.

[@MeredithPhillipsWrites]

Yes, I used to feel super intimidated by the idea of 'you have to have something to say' when writing. What universal truth are you going to share??? Gah! I don't know!! But two things have helped me in this area. First, I've found numerous times that a theme or message comes to light _after_ I've finished the first draft. As I'm rereading it, I'll see the characters saying the same type of thing multiple times or the main conflict will hold some sort of message. And secondly, how many times have you read or heard something that you've heard over and over again, but somehow reading it _this_ time in _this_ context hits different? You never know how your phrasing or your way of delivering a message is going to be interpreted by different readers. So yes, maybe your theme is something that's been said before (and it probably has been), but you'll say it with your words and that might make all the difference.

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

That was the thing that scared me the most about writing before I started. Who? Little old me? Say something? Yikes. I love that approach to it, that rings really true to me. It's like plots and storylines, nothing is ever really completely new, but how you do it, is always new. There's always value to that.

[@ecofictologywithlovisgeier]

I have noticed that I read differently now, and when I talk to people about books they don't understand me anymore 😂 They're just like "I like it" or "I didn't" and i'm like "they used so many overused tropes and they tell way more than they show and the story would have been so much better in deep limited third person rather than omniscient"....crickets.

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Haha, I know exactly what you mean there 😊 People say 'it was really good' and I'm thinking 'how though, plot? dialogue? imagery? 😂 It never stops does it?

[@judyshinohara]

Hello! I just discovered your channel, and I'm looking forward to watching more videos of yours.

[@heathermattern]

I adored his Masterclass!! I just started N.K. Jemisin’s and it seems like it’s going to be a winner too!!

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Oh I had no idea she had one too! ☺️ that’s next on the list then. I love his MasterClass too, it was so well done and he was really engaging.

[@jakeraac5544]

I agree with "influencers" in one of his quotes, not to underestimate the others. Everything I've listened to, seen, consciously writes for me. I recognize it all as my "reading" instead of reading novels or any books really. I lack patience to read lengthy work, something I have yet to overcome, so I write and read short bits or take in what's around me since I've drawn with pen and pencil as the 'visual style of writing' longer. Advice such as yours and others have helped with my training. Thanks for this video, KW.

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

That's a great way of looking at it, I'm the same. Absolutely anything can start a story off for me, and it all ends up helping in the same way. I'm really glad I've been able to help. That's the best thing about making videos 🙂

[@laurabesley7095]

This was great, Kieren! I really struggle (still) with the idea that I have "nothing to say". I think there's a lot of pressure on writers to be dazzling and remarkable in some ways, their writing too, and this can be a very hard hype to ignore.

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Thanks Laura! That's a big block for me. I definitely wish when I started out that someone had told me it wasn't absolutely essential for me to have a firm message from the off, especially with novels and stuff. That was most of my early deliberation and what stopped me getting words down.

[@laurabesley7095]

@@KierenWestwoodWriting Yep! Totally agree. People told me early on my writing was 'boring', but i actually think it would be branded as 'quiet' (no car chases!). I'm so glad I didn't give up. Feedback like that in the beginning can be devastating.

[@tina9866]

I love this one quote from C.S. Lewis: "I do not sit down at my desk to put into vers something that is already clear in my mind. If it were clear in my mind, I should have no incentive or need to write about it. We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand." And I have found that this has always been true for me. It's also a little bit closer to magic - what writing essentially is for me - instead of already knowing your message and creating a book around it. For me it's always about the discoveries I am making along the way.

[@JoeyPaulOnline]

I do love when you break down advice, you have a great way of explaining things, and getting to the meat of it.

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Thank you 🙂 I'm sure he explains things far better, but at least I can say what I took from it.

[@francisduffy2141]

Thank you man. Excellent content. Soldier on.

[@carpediem7192]

thanks from Algeria 😘🇩🇿

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Thanks for watching! 👋☺️

[@maevewhite4376]

I really appreciate this video - the points you have made here are excellent.

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Thank you so much ☺️ I really appreciate you watching!

[@jimmypinero]

Great video Kieren. Look forward to more of your videos. If you don't mind me asking: What is the soundtrack in the background of this video? (I'm always looking for subtle background music while I'm writing, and I love this track). Again, great vid! Keep them coming!

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Hey man, thanks for watching! The song is from Epidemic Sound (royalty free music subscription service) www.epidemicsound.com/track/RNIk6xB2M4/ But I'm sure if you look up Dylan Sitts on other platforms you can probably find a playlist. I use several of his songs, they're all lo-fi and in my opinion perfect for writing to! Another good option for a similar type of thing is this livestream that airs 24/7: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6LEoWiXhJmcb6M

[@koltonheath6073]

Tip number 7 helped a lot

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

That's one of the best ones for sure. It's a real difference maker I think 🙂

[@andreasboe4509]

Enjoying a book as a writer is the same as enjoying a car as an engineer, or a movie as a film maker. It deepens the experience, not spoils it.

[@Beggaronmars]

Your videos are great 👍

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Thank you!

[@ADSmallAuthor]

Thought I would give the starting with the weather try. The lightning strike reflected in his glasses as he stood over the prone body of his disloyal ex-wife. As the thunderstorm clapped, Alex’s final gunshot was hidden from the world. Now he had to hide the body.

[@lyndonkessler4766]

Ron JonSurf shop: Now that is something to write about. The complexity of NASA is doomed while RonJon survives because it is so simple.

[@JClark-ux1hz]

💝

[@Voice.of.the.Fire.Ministries]

As always, another brilliant video! I plan on taking the MasterClass this summer. Is it worth $180 US dollars for the year?

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Thanks mate :) So far only watched Neil Gaiman's and Chris Hadfield's and both were very detailed and engaging. There are a lot of other author's I've yet to check out, so I'd say it's worth it!

[@Voice.of.the.Fire.Ministries]

@@KierenWestwoodWriting Does Gaiman give some great writing exercises?

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

@@Voice.of.the.Fire.Ministries Not specifically no, it’s all pretty similar in its presentation to what I do (but better ofc)

[@NicoleWilbur]

Ok fun story: My friend is an artist and she painted me this beautiful castle/fairytale scape with tip number two painted on the side of the canvas. The full quote we grabbed for it was “Stories do not teach children that dragons exist. Children know dragons exist. They tell them that dragons can be conquered.”

[@KierenWestwoodWriting]

Oh cool! I can't remember if he was paraphrasing someone else of the thought came directly from him, but either way I thought it was such a memorable, engaging way of presenting that advice 🙂 Excellent advice too!